Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Forest of the Fog was released by indie polish maker Elevation Polish as part of the Naughty by Nature collection in November 2013. To me, this polish possesses a distinctly oceanic feel. It has a dark, slightly murky blue-green jelly base bearing an abundance of shimmers and flakies in violet and an assortment of blues. On the nail, the components in the translucent base lend it a deep bold Atlantic blue appearance, and peak out from within the layers to sparkle in direct light. Atlantic blues typically have a moody, tempestuous nature befitting their namesake but this polish has a certain brightness to it that brings to mind a calmer, gentler Atlantic, still powerful and mysterious but unmolested by storm, with deep cerulean wave crests sparkling in the sun.

Forest of the Fog is a water-based polish, as is the entire Naughty by Nature collection. Compared to solvent-based polishes, water-baseds are non-toxic, gentle to the body and less likely to stain or discolor. Forest of the Fog has a thick, slightly sticky consistency and I immediately added polish thinner to my bottle. This probably compromised the water-based nature of the polish, but my application skills simply weren't up to the challenge of a thick jelly. I'd recommend having some polish thinner on hand even if you choose not to thin it at the outset, as it does thicken relatively quickly with exposure to air. Adding thinner periodically makes application much easier, at least for me. Although very dark, this is a translucent polish and the first coat is sheer going on. But it builds easily to an eminently wearable opacity in two coats. Just because I could, I applied a third coat, with deeper color and noticeably more shimmer as the result. Self-leveling properties are excellent, and this polish cleans up beautifully with absolutely no trace of staining. Forest of the Fog dries naturally in very good time for a jelly to a smooth shiny finish. Topcoat pops the color of the shimmers and gives it a becoming gloss that I think enhances the entire look of the polish.

Photos show three coats of Forest of the Fog over treatment and basecoat with a slightly bubbly topcoat of Seche Vite.

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Elevation Polish Forest of the Fog

Despite it's thick formula, I think this polish is beautifully composed and very nicely balanced. Once on the nail, you can see how the deep teal of the base and the blue violet of the shimmer mix work together to produce something altogether different and uniquely versatile. 

Forest of the Fog could be a great stand-in for navy, especially in low light where navy so often tends to appear black. Not here! This polish retains it's intrinsic blue-ness even under low incandescent lighting, which seems to bring out the black in any dark color. The brilliant blue/violet sparkle also makes this a possible stand in for that rare beast: a true deep royal blue. Even though it's not what I consider a typical jewel-tone, it has jewel-tone qualities that make it a gorgeous blue for those times when you're craving deep, intense color.

love,
Liz